Indian Grandmasters Set to Shine at Esports World Cup 2026 Chess Tournament

Strong Representation of Indian Chess at EWC 2026

Paris, France - August 8: The Esports World Cup (EWC) is set to witness an unprecedented representation from Indian chess, with four Grandmasters participating in the Chess tournament scheduled from August 11 to 15 in Paris, as per a recent announcement.

Grandmasters Nihal Sarin, Aravindh Chithambaram, and Pranesh M will represent the esports and gaming giant S8UL Esports, while Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi will compete under the Gen.G Esports banner. Together, they will vie against the world's elite players for a share of the impressive USD 1.5 million (approximately INR 14.2 crore) prize pool.

Nihal, Pranesh, and Arjun secured their spots in the Group Stage thanks to their outstanding performances in the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) 2025-2026. Meanwhile, Aravindh earned his place through DreamHack Atlanta earlier this year and will start his journey in the Play-In stage.

This year marks a significant achievement for Indian chess at the EWC, as the number of participants has doubled compared to last year when only Nihal and Arjun represented the nation. Nihal reached the quarterfinals after qualifying through the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ), while Arjun finished fourth after qualifying via the Champions Chess Tour (CCT).

The Chess competition at EWC 2026 returns with a revamped two-phase format. The newly introduced Play-In stage will feature nine players who qualified through the LCQ and DreamHack Atlanta, competing in a double-elimination bracket with two games per match.

Top performers from the Play-In stage will move on to the Group Stage, joining players who qualified directly through the CCT and other events. The Group Stage will consist of 16 players divided into two groups of eight, following a double-elimination format with two-game matches. The top four from each group will progress to the Playoffs.

The Playoffs will adopt a single-elimination format, with four-game matches in the quarterfinals and six-game matches in the semifinals. The tournament champion will be determined through a Grand Final comprising three sets.

This year's competition boasts one of the strongest lineups in chess history, featuring defending champion Magnus Carlsen (Team Liquid), along with Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja (Team Falcons), Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Natus Vincere), and Hans Moke Niemann (GodLike Esports), among other Grandmasters from across the globe.

With four Indian Grandmasters in the mix, the nation aims to build on last year's success and strive for its first EWC Chess title.